Preface
Monkey Business
It has been said that you don't need much to catch a monkey—simply a container, tied down to something secure, with a hole cut out just large enough for the monkey to slip its hand inside. Place a banana inside the container and wait patiently. When the monkey reaches in to grab the banana, he quickly realizes that he is stuck, because his banana-grasping fist no longer fits through the original hole. All he needs to do to free himself of the trap is let go of the banana. But monkeys cling to the prize and try to force their way out of the trap. They tire themselves out, making them even easier to catch.
Silly monkey, right? After all, the monkey didn't need to be stuck in that trap. But he didn't know better. We humans would never do something like that.
Or would we?
How many times do we cling to the notion that life should be enjoyed as we destroy our health with high-calorie processed food and a sedentary lifestyle? How much can we enjoy life when we are sick—or worse, dead?
How many times must we catch ourselves just before getting into a serious accident as we multitask while driving or even walking because we crave being constantly connected to what else might be going on in the world?
How many stress symptoms, illnesses, or injuries do we need to suffer through before we recognize that our obsession with perfectionism enslaves us to crave more—despite wearing ourselves out to the point of exhaustion?
Learning to let go and creating healthy balance ...
